So far what I have used with my gwt application is a simple FI, like #login, #welcome etc.
However I want to "refactor" my application in a more descriptive way, I need make it this way:
http://localhost:8080/main#login
http://localhost:8080/main#search
http://localhost:8080/profile#<username>
http://localhost:8080/api
etc.
Can I do this with GWT?
If you want to stay on the same GWT application, you'll have to use the HTML5 History API (pushState and onpopstate) instead of GWT's default History (or DefaultHistorian) implementation; which means your app would only work with browser supporting the HTML5 History API (or you'd have to provide a fallback).
This is possible with GWT, but if you don't know how to do it and/or how the HTML5 History API works, it'll cost you a lot (of time).
BTW, if you ever switch to the HTML5 History API, why keep some fragment identifiers?
The alternative is, as milan says, to split your app into smaller parts (/main, /profile, /api, etc.)
Yes, but /main and /profile are going to be separate (html) pages, so you'll have EntryPoint for each then (loading/unloading GWT modules). Is that want you want? Google's AdWords is an example (written in GWT), each tab is a separate HTML page (/dashboard/, /cm/CampaignMgmt, ...).
Related
I visited new GWT website and noticed that after clicking on tree items - link is changing without adding hash (for example, http://www.gwtproject.org/books.html). I know how to do url routing using hashes, but how URL routing is made in GWT website (and possibly can be made)?
Thanks in advance.
It's commonly called HTML5 PushState. A new way of dealing with the browser history by changing the URL without necessarily reloading the page. By listening on popstate events you can dynamically change your page just like using the hashtag method, with the benefit of having cleaner URLs and out of the box crawlability.
Have a look at the gwt website source. Internally uses the GQuery library (jQuery port for GWT) that leverages such pushState methodology.
EDIT: If you want to take benefit of pushState right from GWT (since it does not natively support it), you can also have a look at Johannes Barop's pushState project.
We are using GWT and take advantage of History framework. Everything works fine in application, but some of our clients are trying to put hyperlinks to our application in their PowerPoint presentations. But there is known problem in PP2007 with hash signs ("#") in hyperlinks which makes them unusable.
So is there any way to change separator character used in URLs generated by GWT Hisory framework to something other than hash?
Or is it possible to intercept new URL generated by GWT history and modify it before browser's adress bar is updated with it?
I don't think you can/should change the hash sign. Mainly because this sign does not come from GWT but from HTTP specifications. You can read the part on hash fragments in this doc for a good explanation. The main point being that adding a # sign to a url will not cause a full browser refresh. This is why this sign is used for ajax and GWT's history.
If you still want to intercept new URLs, you should probably add a ValueChangeHandler to your History, and then use Window.Location.getHref() and Window.Location.assign() to change the URL. But that's like using History to do something it doesn't do, so you're better off implementing your own History management system.
See http://code.google.com/p/google-web-toolkit/issues/detail?id=7101 (there are links to sample code)
Basically, you can only do this in a browser that supports HTML5's pushState and onpopstate. This rules out Internet Explorer, and unfortunately those people using PowerPointer are likely to also use IE, so basically you're doomed.
The setup: I have a Blogger blog set up on a domain name as blog.mydomain.com. The main site site at mydomain.com is running Umbraco CMS.
The problem: I need to have the navigation from the CMS transported to Blogger somehow, so that making a change on the main website doesn't require the extra step of modifying the navigation inside Blogger.
Generating the navigation data on the CMS side in what ever format it needs to be (XML, unordered list, JSON, etc) is not a problem. The problem is getting the data from Umbraco to Blogger after it is generated.
I'm not yet willing to use Javascript, as this would seriously impair the website for users browsing without Javascript. (Too bad because AJAX would be a very workable solution.)
I've tossed around the idea of using an iFrame. How would this work for a navigation system including sub-menus? Creating and deleting multiple iframes is out of the picture, since I don't want to use Javascript. I could use one large iframe to allow for the sub-menus, but then it would cover content at the top of the content area, rendering it unclickable.
I'm thinking about how you could do this, but while I do - in this day-and-age javascript has become very common. Most users are going to have it, and those with it disabled really shouldn't be on the web. Is this the only reason you don't want to use javascript? Around 2% according to YDN have js disabled, and that's lower from other countries. As time goes on that 2% should get lower, I don't see that as an issue. However if you absolutely can't use javascript, I'll keep thinking. I might have an idea, I'll need to test it though.
It's not possible to use IFrame, cause of same origin policy. Both sites are on different domains, when user click menu item inside IFrame, there is no way to call parent window.
There are few ways how this can be done.
1) Javascript solution. Use json rpc, or another cross-domain calls. Load menu from your CMS and render it. Yes, this requires javsascript, but, seriously, show me the site, which does not use javascript.
2) Direct server communication.
Is it possible to perform http call from blogger ? If so, just perform http call to your CMS from Blogger, get data and render it.
3) Mixed flash/javascript solution. Flash can perform http call regardless of same origin policy. Get data with flash, use ExternalInterface to call Javascript function to render data.
There is no another way to do it. I suggest you to use javascript solution
You could build an HTML skeleton of empty ULs in Blogger (the max that you might need) to hold your navigation contents, and then link to an Umbraco-generated external stylesheet.
This stylesheet could fill those LIs with CSS generated content using the :before and :after pseudo-elements, and hiding unused LIs with CSS display: none.
An example of this is at: http://jsfiddle.net/5bXja/1/
This works in IE8+ so depending on your clients, this may-or-may-not be more widely supported than Javascript. Likely not. ;-)
I want to design a website using GWT. This is my understanding of how GWT pages will be delivered to the client browser - When the user puts in the URL into her browser she receives all the static HTML + GWT javascript, and then the javascript queries the server for the dynamic page content and adds it to the DOM. eg - For a blog page the content of the blog is queried by the javascript. is my understanding correct?
If I know that the content will surely be a part of the page(add does not depend on user clicking an expand button etc.), Will it be more efficient if the blog content was a part of the HTML initially served? Something that could be done by using a templating engine like django.
Is there a way to make a templating mechanism in GWT?
Yes, putting your content into the HTML will reduce the number of round trips the client makes to your server. It also means that the blog content won't have to wait for your GWT javascript to load before it can be displayed.
GWT itself isn't useful for a template system, but most servers that run GWT servlets will also support JSP pages. GWT works fine with these pages, you just need to put the GWT script tag in as usual. You will no doubt be able to find a ready-made templating solution but rolling your own is not too hard.
can i design my web pages in html and css instead of java methods and use gwt only in parts of page that i need ajax? and which one is better gwt, extgwt, vaadin(it run apps in server-side.can i also use it in client-side?), etc...? do i also need to know javascript for using gwt?
thanks
can i design my web pages in html and
css instead of java methods and use
gwt only in parts of page that i need
ajax?
Yes, you can. You can create a div on your HTML page and insert your GWT widget there.
which one is better gwt, extgwt,
vaadin(it run apps in server-side.can
i also use it in client-side?)
I don't know about vaadin but Ext-GWT is a set of ready made components to use with GWT which make your life easier especially if you want to build an web app that looks and feels like a desktop application.
do i also need to know javascript for
using gwt?
No, it can be useful sometimes but is not necessary.